SK School Committee approves budget to offset funding formula

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – To close the $1.6 million deficit in the school budget, the School Committee approved a budget that would ask for two percent in town property taxes, $950,000 from collective bargaining agreements and a reduction of $640,184 in school programs and structures with 33 percent of the un-designated fund balance dedicated to the budget.

The school committee began its budget discussion knowing that they were expected to get a zero percent appropriation from the town and five percent off from state aid from the funding formula. The budget is $1.6 million in deficit.

To obtain the $640,184 reduction in school programs, the school committee will receive $150,000 from transportation savings, $16,000 from a teacher assistant reduction at the Hazard Pre-school from five days to four days and $70,000 from the elimination of a school nurse teacher. There will also be savings of $10,000 from the mentor program supplies reduction. Hiring one staff itinerant teacher and one course consolidation teacher would provide $140,000. Eliminating eight teacher assistant or clerks would provide a reduction of $240,000. There would also be $58,000 in savings from the retirement of two school principals.